They Just Broke In...

[Juan J. Sánchez]

...to my neighbor's house. This got me thinking about a lot of things. First, it's 3 o' clock. Jesus Christ. And I live in suburbia. Guns and everything. It was a very professional heist. Two cars. One of the cars blocked the entrance, while they opened the gate. Only the maid was home at the time, which means they must have watched them for a while. This could also mean they might have been checking other houses in the block, and might be planning to do other heists. This is the worst part about being a home owner: people trying to steal your shit with guns. And if they broke into my place, what would I do without my PC? Or without my Kindle Fire? And it's not so much the money (my PC was barely worth $600 when I bought it), it's the information I have in it. What if they stole my Kaplan books? How would I study? I'm pretty sure they can't steal my piano, or at least, they aren't interested in that. This is really scary stuff. Has any of you had any similar experiences?

 

[Ellie]

When I was a kid my dog scared away burglars trying to get in, they jumped over (and broke) the swing, and stole next door's TV instead.

 

[Jason]

One time when I was younger (Like 10 years ago), a man broke into our house, but did it all wrong, he smashed through the patio doors, which woke EVERYONE up, and the entire family ran down stairs, and he was sat on the floor crying because he cut himself up really bad with the glass, and begged my mam and dad not to phone the police, so my dad told everyone to go back to bed, and as I went into my bedroom all I could hear was the guy shouting "I'm so sorry!" and some thumping noises...

Hmm... wonder what was happening there... my dad never told me D:

 

[Spoo]

I'm not too concerned about crooks. The rural Southeast isn't exactly crime central, and I thank rednecks and their guns for that.

 

[Juan J. Sánchez]

Yes, there should definitely be more guns. Almost no one here has a gun, just crooks and criminals. Actually, it's kind of a round statement, because if you have a gun here, you're very likely to be a crook or criminal. It's badly seen, and I kind of wish it weren't, because what the heck are you supposed to do if someone breaks in? (Which is not uncommon in Central America.)

 

[Ellie]

Call the cops and hope you're white.

 

[Juan J. Sánchez]

I'm kind of white. Not as white as a British, but maybe kind of like Portuguese or Spanish white.

 

[Venetia]

I've luckily never been hit by ROBBER robbers. Had my identity stolen but that's a totally diff beast.

Some people next door to me once got their car stolen once. And there was a murder just a few houses down from me when I was a kid. About as close as I've gotten personally.

My best friend in California's fucking shit ass bright purple 1994 Saturn S-Series got stolen FIVE TIMES in the ~8 years she had it, despite the fact that the windows & A/C didn't work (though you don't need A/C in San Diego). They tried to steal the CD player 3 times, but every time they didn't realize that it was a 6-CD changer, and that the part that changed the CDs was in the trunk, so they only kept stealing the faceplate thing in the console (after the 3rd time, she just got a removable CD player and would take out the thing every time she got out of the car). Once they stole the rims, and the tires (tires were found, rims never recovered). One of the times, whoever stole it just sort of lived in it for 2 weeks, stashed TONS AND TONS of porn and methlab materials in it, then abandoned it.
Finally broke down for good a couple of years ago, and she got a car with WORKING windows.
It had started to become a joke that her car was due for its annual wandering bender.

Anyway Juan, why not back up your files on a private harddrive you keep elsewhere, or online? That'd be an instant dose of insurance for you.

 

[ellenor]

Well I had my laptop stolen a couple of weeks ago. That was not very funny....
Well it was an old model but all my works were on it, went berserk for a couple of days...
I were at least a little lucky since later I checked my pendrive and found a backup of my work that my husband made for me
after my laptop had a small breakdown in januari.
PRAISE THAT MAN! Or I would have had to start completly from scratch...

Now I got a new laptop that is better than my old, and believe now I don't only lock the doors and windows... I hide the laptop as well now! :P

 

[dadevvtsvre]

Not sure that there is a correlation between robberies and gun ownership. At least, not here. Canada has a ton of guns but most are owned by farmers/hunters/hobbyists. I haven't met a single person that keeps a gun under their pillow, and if you get caught with a concealed weapon in public you are in Big Trouble. The vast majority of people here do not own a gun or have never touched one in their lives, including myself. There are a lot of car robberies and tire slashing here but they're mostly dumbass teenagers who don't have the balls to actually break into somebody's house.

You shouldn't be scared, that will just lead to paranoia. Take reasonable precautions and hope for the best, it's all you can really do without worrying excessively about it. Burglars like to target rich-people houses so maybe you should consider moving into a trailer park or downgrading your lifestyle? :box:

Nobody's ever broken in to our house but our car has been robbed like three or four times. Somebody stole our van when I was a kid and they found it in Toronto a couple weeks later.

Thankfully I live in an area where nobody ever feels like they're in "danger". I don't think I've ever felt unsafe where I live because of crime. You might get harassed by drunken teenagers in the middle of the night but that would be the extent of it. Canada is pretty great that way unless you like in Winnipeg or Saskatoon.

I'm not too concerned about crooks. The rural Southeast isn't exactly crime central, and I thank rednecks and their guns for that.

Yeah it's not like Louisiana, Mississippi or Alabama have the highest rates of incarceration in the United States or anything :V

(although I acknowledge that fact that "People in Prison ≠ Actual Crimes Committed". the american prison system is a whole other can of worms)

 

[Eventing_Guy]

It's a commen thing that happens where I live, but because it's a small area, you usually find out who did what.

Most of these things are out door stuff... a lot of my generation are stupid & are using the things they stole.

 

[Venetia]

Not sure that there is a correlation between robberies and gun ownership.

I know your position on this was neutral, but my two cents ... I think the correlation between gun ownership and crime is that it creates more gun crime.

Someone can steal your shit just as easily without a gun as they can with a gun. Maybe THEY might feel they have an advantage by having a gun ... But in guns-allowed countries, you never know who has one. Maybe even the person you're robbing? :O

(In any case, if some dude broke into my house and was intent on killing my ass ... I'd rather them do it with a gun than by stabbing me a thousand times or beating me with a cudgel ;x)

Burglars like to target rich-people houses so maybe you should consider moving into a trailer park or downgrading your lifestyle?

Most burglars target easy targets. Rich people often have nasty security systems. Their burglars are apt to be the fancy kind who have a plan and firepower.

*Most* burglars are tweekers and dumbasses who are just looking to make a quick buck by fencing something they didn't buy. And sometimes they are the most unpredictable & dangerous.

I wouldn't live in a constant state of fear, but if you live in a city, or a crime-prone area, it can never hurt to be careful. I would consider setting aside a fund for a security alarm. Or maybe talk to your neighbors and try to set up a neighborhood watch. Or, at the very least, buy yourself an aluminum bat for your bedside for some peace of mind :P.

edit: god damn i sound like a tard, got to chill out on the posting while drunk

 

[Mega Flare]

Not sure that there is a correlation between robberies and gun ownership. At least, not here. Canada has a ton of guns but most are owned by farmers/hunters/hobbyists. I haven't met a single person that keeps a gun under their pillow, and if you get caught with a concealed weapon in public you are in Big Trouble. The vast majority of people here do not own a gun or have never touched one in their lives, including myself. There are a lot of car robberies and tire slashing here but they're mostly dumbass teenagers who don't have the balls to actually break into somebody's house.

You shouldn't be scared, that will just lead to paranoia. Take reasonable precautions and hope for the best, it's all you can really do without worrying excessively about it. Burglars like to target rich-people houses so maybe you should consider moving into a trailer park or downgrading your lifestyle? :box:

Nobody's ever broken in to our house but our car has been robbed like three or four times. Somebody stole our van when I was a kid and they found it in Toronto a couple weeks later.

Thankfully I live in an area where nobody ever feels like they're in "danger". I don't think I've ever felt unsafe where I live because of crime. You might get harassed by drunken teenagers in the middle of the night but that would be the extent of it. Canada is pretty great that way unless you like in Winnipeg or Saskatoon.

I'm not too concerned about crooks. The rural Southeast isn't exactly crime central, and I thank rednecks and their guns for that.

Yeah it's not like Louisiana, Mississippi or Alabama have the highest rates of incarceration in the United States or anything :V

(although I acknowledge that fact that "People in Prison ≠ Actual Crimes Committed". the american prison system is a whole other can of worms)

oh f you dude! winnipeg isnt bad! only like the north end and parts of downtown... other then that winnipeg is awesome :D

 

[dadevvtsvre]

oh f you dude! winnipeg isnt bad! only like the north end and parts of downtown... other then that winnipeg is awesome :D

Every country needs some region that everybody can agree upon laughing at. Manitoba is an easy target, bro. Somebody's gotta take our punches :shades:

 

[united washcloth express]

^AT LEAST IT ISN'T DETROIT, AMIRWRIGH;T?

 

[Mega Flare]

oh f you dude! winnipeg isnt bad! only like the north end and parts of downtown... other then that winnipeg is awesome :D

Every country needs some region that everybody can agree upon laughing at. Manitoba is an easy target, bro. Somebody's gotta take our punches :shades:

dudes thats not manitoba its saskacahen or w.e its called.

 

[ForeverZer0]

Someone tried breaking into my house before.
I worked midnight's, and was sleeping, only to wake up to someone trying to pry my back door open. I took a glance out the window, and saw two dumb-ass teenagers out there. I went and got my shotgun, and popped the door open with the gun aimed and ready.

They had this funny story about how they were looking for their dog, and they heard mine (I had a beagle who lived outside at the time), and thought maybe their dog came to my house. I asked what that had to do with my door. They didn't have many more answers, so I told them they had 10 seconds to be off my property before I started shooting, and they ran off on foot. I called the cops, who picked them up shortly thereafter. Apparently they were already wanted for a numerous break-ins around the area, so that was cool I kinda helped get them caught.

 

[Juan J. Sánchez]

Dude, that is the most bogus excuse I've ever heard. Too bad you didn't shoot a couple of warning shots just to scare the crap out of them. But it's still pretty cool you called the cops on them.

 

[Mega Flare]

Someone tried breaking into my house before.
I worked midnight's, and was sleeping, only to wake up to someone trying to pry my back door open. I took a glance out the window, and saw two dumb-ass teenagers out there. I went and got my shotgun, and popped the door open with the gun aimed and ready.

They had this funny story about how they were looking for their dog, and they heard mine (I had a beagle who lived outside at the time), and thought maybe their dog came to my house. I asked what that had to do with my door. They didn't have many more answers, so I told them they had 10 seconds to be off my property before I started shooting, and they ran off on foot. I called the cops, who picked them up shortly thereafter. Apparently they were already wanted for a numerous break-ins around the area, so that was cool I kinda helped get them caught.

This is a prime example why the USA is a crap hole. If you did this in canada you be the one that got arrested by the cops. Which it should be like that in the usa to

 

[Venetia]

@MF

........ Why?